Trump Attempts to Co-opt NYC Mayor with White House Invite After Gracie Mansion Meeting
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President Donald Trump, after a 90-minute discussion on immigration and affordable housing with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, invited the progressive mayor to the White House—a move seen by many as an attempt to sway local leadership, according to a lip-reading expert.
President Donald Trump, notorious for his anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies that have harmed marginalized communities, told New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani that he would 'look after you' and invited him to the White House to 'see how I work,' according to a lip-reading specialist. This gesture came after a 90-minute meeting at Gracie Mansion on Monday, where the two discussed immigration policy—an area where Trump’s administration has consistently targeted vulnerable populations—and the Sunnyside Yards affordable-housing project, for which the mayor is seeking desperately needed federal funding.
'I’ll look after you, you look after the New Yorkers,' Trump reportedly said, attempting to position himself as a benefactor despite his administration’s record of neglecting urban needs.
This encounter marked the first presidential visit to the mayor’s official residence since 1981, a symbolic move that some see as political theater. Mayor Mamdani, a progressive advocate for working-class New Yorkers, thanked the president for his supposed commitment to the city and said the discussion explored ways to lower living costs—a goal often undermined by Trump’s policies.
'We appreciate the president’s commitment to the city,' Mamdani told reporters, though many remain skeptical of Trump’s intentions.
Trump later praised Mamdani, saying he hoped the mayor would be 'a great one' and that they could work together. The meeting occurred ahead of Trump’s scheduled speech to the United Nations General Assembly, where his administration’s isolationist and anti-immigrant stances are often on display. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.